You can get the Poke Classic at Strada Eateria & Coffee in Los Angeles. The non-rice dish features ahi tuna, sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce, onion, chili, macadamia nuts, avocado, lemon, seaweed and greens. restaurant has been rated in Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the US for 2019. (Courtesy of Strada Eateria & Coffee)

Gyromania in Santa Clarita serves a Grilled Chicken Souvlaki with perfectly seasoned french fries, tzatziki, and side fresh salad. (Courtesy of Gyromania)

The Impossible Bacon Avocado Burger from Angel City Grill in Redondo Beach. (Courtesy of Angel City Grill)

The shrimp tacos at Mariscos Jalisco. The restaurant was named No. 100 on Yelps Top 100 Places to Eat in the US for 2019. (Photo by David Allen, SCNG)

Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the US for 2019 was released this morning, Jan. 8, and Southern Californians have 20 honorees in their own backyard.

That’s eight fewer than last year but 90 percent of the entire list are 5-star restaurants and nearly all are priced under $30 per person (or $$ on Yelp). The extra bang for the buck comes just in time for diners who are increasingly seeking quality casual experiences.

To make the grade, businesses had to be listed in the restaurant or food categories on Yelp. Both the rating and the volume of the reviews were considered, “while accounting for the overall volume of reviews in each business’s area so as not to disadvantage businesses in areas with relatively low review volume,” a media release announcing the list stated.

If a business had multiple locations, Yelp kept the highest ranked one.

Two Southern California restaurants returned, Bunz in Huntington Beach and TKB Bakery and Deli in Indio, which topped the list last year. TKB has fallen to 37th place but another So Cal eatery, Gyromania in Santa Clarita, took the No. 4 spot. Restaurants that made the list offer food and drink for all tastes with tacos, shabu, Middle Eastern, Cajun and even tea rooms were lauded.

Yelp, a universal clearing house for cheap eats, continues to be a much-relied on source for budget-minded foodies despite its detractors, including those voicing opinions in a November, 2018 story in Eater: “Faced with increased competition, pay-for-play accusations, and ‘Yelper’ being used as an insult, it seems businesses are taking their advertising dollars elsewhere,” read the article topped with a headline of “Yelp’s Heyday is Over.”

Still, restaurateurs couldn’t care less. They are always stoked to be recognized in this people’s choice style venue says Ryan Cox, Yelp’s regional marketing director, who is based in Orange County.

“Earning a spot on Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat list is great exposure for so many of these spots as they are sometimes in unassuming locations like gas stations or even a laundromat,” Cox said.

Quality has been a factor like never before he says. “I think the idea of fast casual has really been shaken up. Before you’d go for burgers, pizza or other types of fast food because you knew it was quick and cheap. Now you’re looking for a meal on-the-go, but you want to make sure it’s healthy, has locally sourced ingredients and even uses sustainable packaging that’s good for the environment,” he said. “Something you’d usually always have to go to a traditional sit-down type restaurant to experience.”

And of course, there’s no better time to be a So Cal resident, he says. “We’re lucky in Southern California because not only do we have every type of food you can imagine, chefs and restaurateurs are always looking for creative ways to switch things up, put modern twists on old favorites and try a variety of fusions for something unique and different. We’re usually the trailblazers for new concepts or at least early adopters, so we get to taste and see things before they really jump in popularity across the country.”

So if you’re hungry, have at it. Here’s the list of Southern California’s honorees. Restaurants marked with a heart symbol were on the list last year. Those indicated with a diamond offer delivery or pickup.

Anne Valdespino never intended to be an editor. She’s just another writer who took a wrong turn. Nevertheless, she has happily spent the last few years editing features in food, travel, Home and Garden and OCHOME magazine. A former editor at the Los Angeles Times and Orange Coast magazine, Anne started out as an entertainment reporter at The Orange County Register and recently returned to writing. She has come full circle, covering food and other lifestyle topics, and is back where she belongs.